Quake Live Premium Pak 13 detailed; five maps, Standard arena cycling

Five maps are headed to the free-to-play Quake Live in a new content update, out today.

Premium Pak 13 includes five community-authored arenas, but this isn’t just good news for premium members. Beginning today the Standard arena pool will be cycled monthly, with 21 arenas chosen for the rest of the month. New maps will be exclusive to Premium members for three months, but even those will eventually be eligible for the Standard pool.

Changes are coming to how arenas are chosen, too. Standard-level players can now vote for one of three arenas at the ends of every match. Premium and Pro arena selection process remain unchanged.

The update also adds Bright and Sport skins for every character model, and more Start A Match options.

Descriptions of the five new maps follow, but visit the Bethesda Blog for details on all the other new changes headed your way.

Infinity by Ferdinand ‘cityy’ List: After the hazardous materials make their way through the facilities in Reflux, the water-based byproducts end up here in Infinity. This Capture the Flag arena was converted from its industrial uses after being abandoned years ago by the original owners. Long lines of sight down the center create opportunities to rail outgoing flag runners, who may choose to take a dip into the slower, but safer, water paths. A Quad Damage spawns in the middle every two minutes, so coordinate your attacks wisely!

Limbus by Mike ‘Yellack’ Schreiber and Gary ‘akm’ turner: A Team Deathmatch arena made by the team of Yellack and akm, Limbus also plays great in our Domination mode. The Quad Damage room offers interesting possibilities for fights, offering a route that requires some dexterity while jumping across high, exposed platforms. Don’t forget about the underground areas; Limbus is larger than it appears on first inspection.

Silence by Ferdinand ‘cityy’ List: A Duel arena that has you surrounded by—thankfully contained — corrosive material, the action in Silence is anything but. Silence is pretty tall as far as Duel arenas go, so you’ll have to be aware of your vertical surroundings. The Red Armor is placed for maximum grab-and-run potential, but you may want to keep an eye out for Railgun-toting opponents before you leap. Silence is a great addition to the Duel arena pool, and is also fun for small Free for All and Clan Arena matches.

Terminus by FRS and Gary ‘akm’ turner: Taking place in a sprawling base, Terminus is a very large Team Deathmatch arena with lots of room for tricks and advanced movement. Teams will vie for control for the Battle Suit and Quad Damage rooms, taking care to not get knocked into the fog, or knocked off the Quad platform, making any player who drops down easy fragbait. Terminus is also available for Domination play.

Windsong Keep by Tom ‘Phantazm11’ Perryman: The author of Black Cathedral is back with a third arena: a Duel arena taking place in a stunning castle. Windsong Keep is nothing short of an artistic masterpiece in the QUAKE LIVE engine. Expect heavy combat around the ruined tower which holds the Red Armor. A Mega Health is located in another central room, but with ample room for ambush. Try not to get distracted by the beautiful visuals while running through the hallways. Windsong Keep definitely plays as well as it looks.